Apparatus for cutting filaments into staple fibers



Jan- 24, F. c, HALE ET AL APPARATUS FOR CUTTING FILAMENTS INTO STAPLE FIBERS Filed April 10, 1931 Fuel 1 FRANK C HALE WILUAM H4 mmwow Patented Jan. 24, 1933 umrao STATES PATENT OFFICE ENGLAND, ASSIGNOB$ TO CELANESE CORPORATION OF AMERICA, CORPORATION jwnnnmwnan EARAT'QS CUTTING FILAMENTS INTO STAPLE FIBERS I muggtion med April 10, 1931,, Serial No. 529036 a1id in Great Britain June 16, 1930.

This invention relates to the production of artlficial yarns or threads and particularly to the roduction of short lengths or staple.

fibers rom continuous artificial or natural filaments suitable for manufacturing into spun yarns, alone or mixed with other natural or artificial fibers.

According to the invention, filaments are fed laterally into the nip of a pair of overlapping circular knives which co-operate to sever the filaments. At least one of the knives is driven at high speed, so that its rotation, together with air-flow induced thereby, assists the feeding of thefilaments into the nip of the knives. In a convenient embodiment, the knives are mounted on parallel shafts and geared together to run at the same or substantially the same speed.

The knives may be adapted to sever staple lengths from the ends of filaments fed continuously to the knives, or. pairs of. knives may be mounted in sets adapted to sever lengths of filaments simultaneously at sev- 7 helical gears 43 from a horizontal sha eral points.

In one adaptation, the filaments are endwise across the are also fed latera 1y into the nip of the knives with a frequency which, .in conjunction with therate of endwise feed, determines fed the length of staiple cut. The endwise feed is conveniently e ected through a guide tube whose mouth moves close to the nip of the knives. This tube may oscillate at the required frequency to move the filaments laterally to cutting position, the feed of the filaments being effected, for example, by an air current through the tube, or it may rotate so that the length of filaments which has passed through the tube under the action of centrifugal force, aided if need be by an air current, is severed as the mouth of the tube passes the knives.

Suitable guard means may be provided to enclose the knives, and to prevent the staple fibers produced from escaping into the atmosphere. The staple fibers may be led from the knives by a chute to suitable containers, which may be replaced when full, or conveying means may be rovided to carry the fibers, e. g. by suction, rom the cutting machine.

lane of the knives and- The invention --will now bedescribed in greater detail with referenceto the accompanying drawing, but it is to be understood I that this description given by way of example only, and is in no respect limitative. Figs. 1 arid 2 are sideand end elevations respectively of cutting apparatus in which shafts 36 being geared together by gears 37 so that the two knives are driven at the same rate, and the lower shaft 36 being coupled I to any suitable driving means. A vertical shaft 38 is mounted opposite the nip of the knives and carries at the level of the nip a disc 39 carrying a downwardly pointing funnel 40 leading to horizontal tube 41 whose mouth 42 is placed as close as possible to the nip of the knives. The shaft 38 is drivefriil 44 connected by a gear 45 to the .gear 37 on the lowermost shaft 36.

Filaments led from the funnel 40 to the tube 41 are propelled outwardly under the action of centrifugal force by the rotation of the disc 39, so that on each revolution of the disc a'length of filament is fed laterally into the nip of the knives 35 and severed. This length is determined by the rate at which the filaments are fed to the funnel 40 and the speed of the disc 39. An air jet may be used to introduce the filaments into the funnel and may be maintained during cutting to assist in feeding the filaments through the tube 41.

What we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. Apparatus for cutting filaments into staof circular knives overlapping to form a nip and mounted on shafts which are geared together to run at substantially the same speed,

means for rotating said knives and means adapted to feed the filaments endwise to said knives and to pass them laterally into the nip of the knives so as to sever staple lengths from the ends of the filaments.

3. Apparatus for cutting filaments into staple fibers, said apparatus comprising a pair of circular knives overlapping to form a nip, means for rotating said knives, and rotatable means adapted to receive filaments along its axis of rotation and to feed them radially While passing them laterally into the nip of the knlves so as to sever staple lengths from the ends of the filaments.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto subscribed our names.

FRANK CORBYN HALE. WILLIAM HARRY KIMPTON. 

